Thursday, 29 May 2014

This post has been brewing in my mind for a REALLY long time. The thing that has always stopped me writing it is, firstly, I know a lot of people who read my blog only read clean romances, so they will likely just skip over it, but also, the potential for abuse I might get for it - because people take erotica very seriously!

Those concerns still hold true - but I am tired of holding in this semi-rant.

Before anyone asks why I read it if it bugs me so much - it's not always erotica. Sometimes it's just a sex scene in a book. I don't choose to read erotica very often. Hardly ever, actually. But when I do, it's pretty samey and makes me do this:

This post isn't meant as an attack on anyone who HAS used the following phrases in a sex scene - clearly they work or people would have stopped using them ages ago. Also, I hate when writers write arsey posts about what they dislike, because it WILL offend someone. Everyone has their own style, and if it's working, awesome! Nobody's opinion is more important that anyone else's. Really, at the heart of this post, what I'm actually saying is, it's okay to change things up. It's okay not to follow the crowd and use the same phrases as everyone else.

Let's say someone makes you a lasagne for dinner. You love it. It's cheesy, and tasty, and delicious. You love everything about it; the smell, the taste, the feeling of satisfaction because you've just eaten the best meal ever. And then the same person makes it for you the next day. Oh yeah, still delicious. But imagine if you had to eat lasagne, made the exact same way, for a week. A month. Three months. A year. That taste you loved so much at the start becomes bland, tasteless, maybe even nauseating.

See my point?

So, I bring you my list of erotica terms that make me squirm.

"You're so wet."

*vomits*. The moment I see these words, my eyes glaze over and I assume I am about to read another sex scene that will be the same as the majority of other sex scenes already out there. Sometimes I'm wrong, but nine times out of ten, I'm not. It goes like this: Get naked. Kiss. Man puts hand between woman's legs until she writhes. Woman claws at man's back. Woman begs him for more. Man plunges into her. Fireworks go off. I have no business mocking this formula, in fact I'm not, I've used it myself. It's not so much the order of events that matters, but the words used to describe them. I genuinely cannot recall a single sex scene I've read recently that didn't have the words "you're so wet" in it at least once, if not more. My annoyance of this is only topped by the words, "You're so wet for me, baby." (See below!)

Excessive use of "baby"

I mean, really. Unless you're Justin Bieber, nobody says the word "baby" that many times. I suspect some of this is an editing error. Sometimes, when writing, you don't realise you've used the same word so often. It's not necessary. You wouldn't use a person's name so excessively when talking to them. Imagine it,

"Hello, Kyra.""Hello.""How are you today, Kyra?""Very well, thanks? And yourself?""I'm great, Kyra. Any interesting plans for the day, Kyra?"

This is another one that baffles me. Why does this have to be announced? Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned moaning? "Come" is also not a particularly sexy word, but I suppose it would be even more cringey to say, "Well, goodness me, I appear to be having an orgasm." And if you can GET that many words out during sex, someone is doing something wrong.

I am absolutely positive there are more - but these are the main ones for me. Perhaps there is a book somewhere that tells authors these are the key things that make erotica hot. And maybe it really does work. But there is nothing wrong with saying to yourself, "Hey, you know what? I'm going to do this a different way." Ultimately, that's what we all do when we write a book, isn't it? We strive to create different to what's already out there. There are endless words in the world - I genuinely believe there are other phrases that are sexier than these now overused phrases.

So, talk to me. Are there any phrases in sex scenes that make you squirm?

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

Hey, look who's here! It's the wonderfully talented Annalisa Crawford! Annalisa had a book release sprung on her rather quickly, so I'm helping to spread the word. I have already read this, and I'm here to tell you it's another brilliant book to add to your Annalisa Crawford collection (and if you don't have an Annalisa Crawford collection yet, you'd best get cracking!)

Release date: 10th
June 2014 Publisher: Battered
Suitcase Press

“The Boathouse collects misfits. Strange solitary creatures that yearn
for contact with the outside world, but not too much. They sit, glass in hand,
either staring at the table in front of them, or at some distant point on the
horizon.”

…
so says the narrator of Our Beautiful Child. And he’s been around long enough
to know.

People
end up in this town almost by accident. Ella is running away from her
nightmares, Sally is running away from the memories of previous boyfriends and
Rona is running away from university. Each of them seek sanctuary in the 18th
century pub, The Boathouse; but in fact, that’s where their troubles begin.

Ella
finds love, a moment too late; Rona discovers a beautiful ability which needs
refining before she gets hurt; and Sally meets the captivating Murray, who
threatens to ruin everything.

Three
women. Three stories. One pub.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:

I live in Cornwall UK,
with a good supply of beaches and moorland right on my doorstep to keep me
inspired. I live with my husband, two sons, a dog and a cat.

Despite my location,
I neither surf nor sail, and have never had any inclination to try. I much
prefer walking along a deserted beach and listening to the waves crashing over
rocks. For this reason, I really love the beach in the winter!

Monday, 19 May 2014

The idea for this bloghop is to create a free ebook to help new self-publishers on their journey to publication. This is a genius idea - I wish I'd had something like this when I started out!

The details:

Please write a letter/note to yourself when you first started writing
toward publication. The only thing I ask is that you keep it under 800
words, including as many (or as few) of these elements as you like:

- A lesson you learned the hard way

- Something you didn’t expect about the industry (positive/negative)

- A writing-related resource you could never do without now

- One thing you’d change about your journey

- One thing you’re glad you did

- Your number one tip for pursuing publication

- Anything else you feel is worth passing on

INFORMATION:

- The name you wish to be credited as
- The title (if any) you wish to follow your name, i.e. author of the series
- One major link where people can find you, i.e. website, blog, Twitter, etc.

PLEASE INCLUDE:

- Whether or not you give me permission to use your entry in the
e-book compilation. Don’t feel bad if you don’t want in. We’d still love
to read what you have to say!

Okay, so I thought long and hard about this, but here is my advice to all new self-publishers! (And yes, please use this entry in the ebook!)

**

Slow down.

If there was one thing I wish someone had told me before I hit "Publish" on my first novel, it's that there is no rush. It's easy to let excitement take over once you've decided to self-publish, and your book is complete, and it's edited and you've found your book cover. I'd built up such a buzz around my first book, I couldn't wait to get it out into the world.

The truth of the matter is, the book wasn't ready. Yes, I had it checked for errors, and I'd read it myself a million times to be sure I was happy, but there is one major thing I didn't do. I didn't take a time out. I was too close to it to see the flaws. The best thing for any writer on completion of a book is to take a step back. Wait a few weeks before the final re-read. Make changes. Wait a bit longer.

If I had done these things, I wouldn't have had to re-release a second edition of my book with the issues ironed out. And did I mention, that book has had FOUR cover changes. If I had just stopped and taken a little extra time, I would have saved myself a lot of extra work. I learned my lesson the hard way - and now I always take my time.

So, when your book is finished, stop. Step away. Come back to it with a clear head, and you will be SO much happier with the final result, no matter how long it takes.

Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Today, I want to introduce you
to a blog-friend who writes Dude Lit. He swears all of his novels are
shock-full of romance from the man's point of view. I assume that means
lusting, drooling, and nasty jokes. But we'll have to test-drive his
books to find out (and he promises a free title for anyone who leaves a
comment on his blog…note what title you want).

Mac is celebrating right now because (drum roll please) he is…publishing his 24th novel.
Drop by his blog where he posts his photography and give
him a congratulations…or visit his home page and peruse his titles…read
an excerpt...and help him celebrate. (Links are below!)

About Novel #24

This
volume of the NEW ORDER APOCALYPSE series continues thirty-three years
after an engineered plague shredded Earth's population.

Chloe
and Ginna Lee must decide whether to continue Jason's dream to unite
survivors, or concentrate on surviving. Chloe hasn't the tact to play
ambassador, and Ginna Lee is more likely to take heads than spread good
will. Promises little hope they can build an alliance, especially if
peace hinges on a cure for Jihad. Meanwhile, the landscape they must
cross still writhes with roamers and desperate clans.

Mac
spins tales around rich, gritty characters with a lot of baggage, and
puts them through a bit more grief than they can handle. His tone leans
toward the sarcastic, passive aggressive.

Left behind by everyone she loves...
Rebecca Garvey had the promise of a California future dreams are made of, until
the wagon train her family was traveling with left her behind. Now she’s slowly
dying in the wilderness, abandoned and stripped of her self-worth. Once the
shock of her desertion turns to embittered despair, she doesn’t want to be
found. Then a handsome stranger challenges her convictions and changes her
mind.

Headed for Texas, chased by the demons of his past...
Seth Emerson knows exactly what he wants. Working to save for a cattle ranch of
his own keeps him busy and keeps his pain buried. Rescuing a stubborn woman
from the hills of New Mexico Territory isn’t part of his plan—but she’s exactly
what he needs.

Making greater sacrifices than either of them could foresee...
Seth and Rebecca set off on a risky journey and a quest for truth, each healing
the other’s love-starved soul along the way. Will they give in to their growing
attraction? Or will they honor their commitments when Seth returns
Rebecca to civilization... and her betrothed?

Come Back

by Melissa Maygrove

Western Historical Romance

Adult / New Adult

Available May 12th from Truelove Press

Native Texan Melissa Maygrove is a wife, mother, nurse, freelance editor, and romance writer. When
she's not busy caring for her tiny nursery patients or shuttling teenagers back
and forth to after-school activities, she's hunched over her laptop,
complicating the lives of her imaginary friends and playing matchmaker. Melissa
loves books with unpretentious characters and unforgettable romance, and she
strives to create those same kinds of stories for her readers.

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

So, Sidelined has been out for a little while now, and it's time I hit the blog tour circuit! For those of you who weren't around for the Game On and Blindsided blog tours, you missed out on some fun! Highlights included a Sims-created photo tour of Leah and Freya's apartment, a Mr and Mrs style quiz show between Leah and Radleigh, a look around Winter Wonderland in London, and some super fun giveaways!

The Sidelined blog tour will be no different! I plan to hold the tour from July 7th to July 18th, and if possible, I will have two posts every day!

This is where you come in. :D If you would be willing to host me, and maybe give me an interview, ask a question for me to answer, or if you're happy to leave it up to me what kind of post you get, please sign up on the linky below and I will be in touch shortly.

Tuesday, 6 May 2014

In the past, the A-Z Challenge has been one massive struggle, where I've felt like I was drowning in a sea of blogs, and comments, and panic because I didn't feel like I was visiting enough new blogs. It turns out, if you relax a little, the challenge is awesome!

I signed up this year at the very last minute, which is not unusual. I've signed up at the last minute every single time. What I enjoyed about this year was writing a series of mini posts from my two main characters from Game On - because it allowed me back inside their heads, ready for the next book in the series. Although the next book is not from Leah and Radleigh's POV, they do feature a lot more heavily, and it was cool to write about the way their relationship has changed. It was a good exercise for me, and the bonus is that I made some cool new bloggy friends, and gave away a bunch of ebooks, too! :D

Monday, 5 May 2014

What if your entire reality changed on you one day? You wake up and your family and friends aren't who you thought they were. You look around, and the world isn't what you thought it was. You don't even recognize yourself. You and your reality are a complete mystery to you.

Simone's life was about to undergo that disturbing journey. Love, lust, death, betrayal.

How do you fight the devil himself when he consumes you with lust? How can you love someone who has come to take back your brother’s soul?

Shamar, soul keeper and son of Death, had never met such a unique soul before Simone. Captivated by her, he broke all rules to be near her -- to love and protect her. But how do you protect someone from evil when the forces of good seem to be working against you?

When Lucifer himself crawled from Hell to claim Simone, what sacrifices would Shamar make to keep her safe?

Not seeing Simone all week left my craving for her unsatisfied and vibrating my blood with anticipation for when I could feed it again. New charges have kept me busy and the temptation to touch her when she was reaching out to me in her bedroom after the party nearly consumed and broke me. Distance was what I needed but now I need to see her again. I waited long enough; I have proven to myself that I’m strong and not a fool to human weakness.

Sensing her soul I appear close to her. She’s in a shop so I go to the coffee stool positioned opposite and order a drink. The girl serving me blushes when she hands me my change. I can sense her attraction to me; it radiates off her in waves and has her embarrassed because of it. I smile with a wink at her and drop the change into the tip jar. I hear her intake of breath and laugh quietly to myself as I turn and almost spill my cup onto Simone’s chest.

“I’m sorry I nearly scalded your…” I look down at her impressive chest and back to her face, which is tinted with the pink flush from my gaze.

“Body,” I offer with a shake of my head, which earns me a giggle. It nearly floors me. Pulling a stray hair from her mouth, she watches my movements. Parting her lips, her tongue darts out to moisten them; I caress her bottom lip with the pad of my thumb, taking the hair with it across to her cheek. There’s an electrical storm erupting inside my body. Her eyes are glazed; everything around us has fallen into silence, we are the only two who exist in this moment.

My thumb retraces it journey to her mouth with a press of her lips she kisses it. My whole body crackles and tingles. She’s turned on and it magnifies my own arousal. Leaning forward without thought of consequence, I touch my lips to hers. Her body melts into mine; the taste of her red lips is like the sweetest forbidden fruit. The warmth of her tongue slips into my mouth and I meet it with my own: grasping her face deepening the kiss. Her supple body moulds further into mine, her breasts pushing against my chest, our hips pushing into each other’s. The whole world falls away and I feel like Heaven has claimed me and this is it; she is my Heaven.

Her friend grabs her shoulders and turns her from my gaze. It breaks the spell. I notice we have gathered an audience as were standing in the middle of the mall making out like we were in a private room. She looks around and drops her face to the floor, embarrassed. Lifting her chin, I whisper, “Never look down Simone, only up.” I bring my lips to her forehead before walking away once again.

When not lost in my mind of characters i can be found reading or spending time with family. I prefer a darker edge to my writing, not all life and love stories are light, some are grown from darkness. I was raised by a bookaholic. My mum started me on Anne rice as soon as i was old enough. I love losing myself in an authors world and create them for my fans.

Friday, 2 May 2014

Okay peeps, A-Z is over, and I'm ready to get back to some kind of normal blogging routine! I think I said I'd only be posting on Mondays and Fridays - I have no idea how that will go yet lol.

Today, I have a story for you, and a tiny plea for help!

A few weeks ago, the amazing Carrie Butler emailed me to let me know that ACX - the home of audiobook creation is allowing authors from the UK to turn their books into audiobooks. This was just about the best news ever because - well - I REALLY wanted a piece of that!

What I underestimated by a very long way was the cost. Yes, some voiceover artists will work for a royalty share of the sales from the audiobook, but they have to be absolutely certain I will sell huge amounts so they get some compensation. I am confident I can sell Game On audiobooks, but I completely understand why a voiceover artist would be concerned about putting so much time into a project without a guarantee of a reward. Nobody wants to work for free! So, I started to look for artists at the lower end of the payment scale.

There is some amazing talent out there, but even at the lower end, I can't stretch my budget that far without some help.

SO I took the plunge and set up a Kickstarter Project. Compared to many projects, the amount I need to raise is pretty small, but even so, I am very aware that it might not work. Of course, I want it to work out, but I need to be prepared, just in case. If I don't try, I won't know!

There are, as with all Kickstarter projects, rewards for donations. If you already have what is on offer, you don't HAVE to take the reward. It's up to you!

With that said, I am going to post the link for you to take a look
at. PLEASE don't feel pressured to help out. I just figured a blog post
was the fastest way to let people know what I'm doing!